6.8-magnitude quake rattles northeast Japan, no tsunami risk

A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Japan's northeastern coast on Saturday but no tsunami warning was issued, Japanese and US authorities said, with no immediate reports of damage. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the mid-morning quake hit at a depth of 47 kilometres (29 miles) in the Pacific, off Ishinomaki, Miyagi prefecture -- near the epicentre of a huge 2011 quake which triggered a towering tsunami, killing more than 18,000 people.